German auxiliary cruiser Stier

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Stier (HSK 6) was a German auxiliary cruiser during World War II. The name Stier means "bull" or constellation Taurus in German language.

1 History
2 General Characteristiscs

[edit] History

The former Cairo was put into Kriegsmarine services in November 1939. After merchant warfare operations in the Baltic Sea, it was converted into a mine layer and was planned to be used during operation Seelöwe. After this operation was cancelled, the now named Stier was modified into an auxiliary cruiser in Rotterdam in April 1941. On 10 May 1942 it left Germany for its operation in the Atlantic. On 27 September 1942 the ship was sunk during the battle with the American cargo ship SS Stephen Hopkins, which was also lost. During its operation, the Stier sunk 4 ships with 29,409 t.

[edit] General Characteristiscs

[edit] Construction Data

Laid down: Germaniawerft Kiel, 1936
Launched: 7 October 1936
Commissioned: 25 November 1939 (9 November 1941 as auxiliary cruiser)
Fate: sunk on 27 September 1942
Costs:

[edit] Raiding Career

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
4 June 1942	SS Gemstone	British	4,986	Sunk
6 June 1942	SS Stanvac Calcutta	Panamanian	10,170	Sunk in combat
15 July 1942	SS William Humphrey	American	7,983	Sunk
9 August 1942	SS Dalhousie	British	7,250	Sunk
27 September 1942	SS Stephen Hopkins	American	7,181	Sunk in combat

[edit] Technical Data

Size: 11,000 t
Length: 133 m
Beam: 17.3 m
Draft: 7.2 m
Armament: 6 x 15 cm; 1 x 6 cm; 2 x 3.7 cm; 4 x 2 cm;
- 6 x torpedo tubes, 2 x Arado Ar 196 float planes
- 1 x Small Fast Attack boat LS2